(a) A mutual benefit corporation may amend its articles to change its status to that of a public benefit corporation, a religious corporation, a business corporation, or a cooperative corporation by complying with this section and the other sections of this chapter.
(b) Except as authorized by Section 7811 or unless the corporation has no members, an amendment to change its status to a public benefit corporation or religious corporation shall: (i) be approved by the members (Section 5034), and the fairness of the amendment to the members shall be approved by the Commissioner of Corporations pursuant to Section 25142; (ii) be approved by the members (Section 5034) in an election conducted by written ballot pursuant to Section 7513 in which no negative votes are cast; or (iii) be approved by 100 percent of the voting power.
(c) Amended articles authorized by this section shall include the provisions which would have been required (other than the name of the initial agent for service of process if a statement has been filed pursuant to Section 8210), and may in addition only include those provisions which would have been permitted, in original articles filed by the type of corporation (public benefit, religious, business, or cooperative) into which the mutual benefit corporation is changing its status.
(d) At the time of filing a certificate of amendment to change status to a public benefit corporation, a corporation shall furnish an additional copy of the certificate of amendment to the Secretary of State who shall forward that copy to the Attorney General.
(e) In the case of a change of status to a business corporation or a cooperative corporation, if the Franchise Tax Board has issued a determination exempting the corporation from tax as provided in Section 23701 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, the corporation shall be subject to Section 23221 of the Revenue and Taxation Code upon filing the certificate of amendment.
